The present invention relates to a bed assembly and particularly, to a bed assembly with an air mattress and controller. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bed assembly having electrical and pneumatic circuitry to control the pressure within an air bladder of the air mattress.
Bed assemblies including mattresses having inflatable air bladders are known. Some mattresses having air bladders are used in hospitals to support patients requiring long term care and some mattresses having air bladders are used by consumers at home. Inflation of air mattresses may be accomplished by a fairly sophisticated control system having sensors that sense air pressure within one or more air bladders of the air mattress and having one or more microprocessors that control other components of the control system based on the pressure sensed by the sensors. Many conventional beds with air mattresses also include articulating frame sections that are moved to adjust the position of a patient supported by the mattress. The position of the articulated frame sections is sometimes controlled by yet another sophisticated control system. Consumers would welcome an economical bed assembly that may be purchased, initially, without an air mattress, and that may be upgraded, later, to include an air mattress.
According to the present invention, a method of upgrading a bed assembly from (a) a first configuration in which the bed assembly includes a foam mattress, an articulating frame for supporting the foam mattress, and a drive system for moving at least one section of the articulated frame, to (b) a second configuration in which the bed assembly includes an air mattress, the articulating frame, and the drive system, is disclosed. The method includes the steps of removing the foam mattress from the articulating frame, placing an air mattress that includes at least one air bladder on the articulating frame, coupling an air control module pneumatically to the at least one air bladder, and coupling the air control module electrically to the drive system so that command signals received by the drive system to adjust pressure of the at least one air bladder are routed from the drive system to the air control 6216 module to operate the air control module to adjust pressure of the at least one air bladder.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.